🐔 Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how The Co-op Coop ("we," "us," or "the Platform") collects, uses, shares, and protects personal information when you use thecoopcoop.com as a buyer, seller, or cooperative ("Co-op") member. By using the Platform, you agree to the practices described here.

We try to collect only what we need to run a marketplace: enough to process orders, pay sellers, prevent fraud, and keep accounts secure.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information you provide

• Account information — your name, email address, and profile details (bio, avatar). Authentication is handled by our provider Clerk; if you sign in with Google, we receive your name, email, and profile image from Google.

• Seller and Co-op information — listings you create, co-op details, payout splits, and contribution records.

• Content — images and files you upload (stored with our provider Cloudinary), and messages you send to other users or co-op members.

• Communications — emails and support requests you send us.

2.2 Information collected automatically

• Transaction data — orders, amounts, fees, payout calculations, fulfillment and shipping status.

• Technical data — basic log information such as IP address and browser type, used for security, fraud prevention, and debugging.

2.3 Information processed by our payment provider

Payments and seller payouts are handled by Stripe (via Stripe Connect). When you make a purchase or set up payouts, your payment-card details and seller identity/banking information are collected and stored by Stripe directly under Stripe’s own privacy policy — not by us. We do not receive or store full card numbers or bank account numbers. We receive limited transaction metadata (amounts, status, the Stripe account identifier, and the processing fee) needed to operate the marketplace.

2.4 Information we do not collect

We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18. The Platform is not directed to children. We do not collect biometric or facial-recognition data, and we do not buy personal information from data brokers.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use personal information to:

• Create and manage your account and authenticate sign-ins

• Process orders, calculate payouts and platform fees, and route payments through Stripe

• Send transactional emails (order confirmations, sale notifications, shipping updates, co-op and membership notices) through our provider Resend

• Operate co-op features — shared storefronts, fund ledgers, contribution tracking, and governance

• Detect, investigate, and prevent fraud, fee manipulation, and abuse

• Provide support and respond to your requests

• Comply with legal, tax, and regulatory obligations (including marketplace facilitator sales-tax obligations handled via Stripe Tax)

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not show third-party advertising or share your information with advertisers.

4. How We Share Information

We share personal information only in these circumstances:

• With other users as needed to complete a transaction — for example, a buyer’s shipping name and address are shared with the seller fulfilling the order, and a seller’s public profile is visible to buyers. Co-op organizers can see member and fund information for their own co-op.

• With service providers (sub-processors) who process data on our behalf, listed in Section 5.

• For legal reasons — to comply with law, respond to lawful requests, enforce our Terms, or protect the rights, safety, and property of users and the Platform.

• In a business transfer — if the Platform is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets (including a future conversion to a cooperative corporation), information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to this policy.

5. Service Providers (Sub-Processors)

We rely on the following providers to operate the Platform. Each processes only the data needed for its function, under its own privacy and security commitments:

• Clerk — authentication and account management

• Stripe — payment processing, seller payouts (Stripe Connect), and sales-tax calculation (Stripe Tax)

• Cloudinary — image and file storage

• Resend — transactional email delivery

• Database and hosting providers — our database and application hosting infrastructure, which store Platform data to operate the service

We will update this list as our providers change.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal information for as long as your account is active and as needed to provide the Platform. We retain transaction and tax records for as long as required by law (for example, records supporting 1099-K reporting). When information is no longer needed, we delete or de-identify it. Some information may persist in backups for a limited period after deletion.

7. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights regarding your personal information. Oregon residents and residents of other U.S. states with comprehensive privacy laws may have the right to:

• Know what personal information we hold about you and request a copy

• Request correction of inaccurate information

• Request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal exceptions

• Opt out of any "sale" or "sharing" of personal information — note that we do not sell or share personal information for advertising

• Not be discriminated against for exercising these rights

To exercise any of these rights, email us at support@thecoopcoop.com. We will verify your request (typically by confirming control of your account email) and respond within the timeframe required by applicable law. Some information must be retained for legal, tax, or fraud-prevention reasons and may not be deletable on request.

Note that account, identity, and payment information held by Stripe is subject to Stripe’s own privacy practices; we will help direct you to the right place for requests that concern data Stripe controls.

8. Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect personal information, including encrypted connections, scoped access controls, and reliance on established providers (Clerk, Stripe) for sensitive credentials and payment data. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security. If we become aware of a breach affecting your personal information, we will notify you as required by law.

9. Cookies and Tracking

We use only the cookies and similar technologies necessary to operate the Platform — primarily to keep you signed in and to maintain session security. We do not use third-party advertising or cross-site tracking cookies. If we add analytics in the future, we will update this policy and provide any required choices.

10. Children

The Platform is intended for users 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us at support@thecoopcoop.com and we will delete it.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you by email or through the Platform before they take effect. The "Effective Date" at the top reflects the current version. Continued use of the Platform after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

12. Contact Us

Questions about this Privacy Policy or your personal information? Reach us at:

• Privacy and data requests: support@thecoopcoop.com

• Legal/IP: dmca@thecoopcoop.com

• Fraud/abuse: safety@thecoopcoop.com